US Vice-President JD Vance is set to take his family on a summer holiday to the Cotswolds next month, opting for the gentle hills of the English countryside over the rugged Appalachians he wrote about in his memoir. The Vances—JD, his wife Usha, and their three young children—are expected to rent a property in the region, a popular choice for wealthy tourists, shortly after President Donald Trump finishes a stay in Scotland.
Earlier in August, the family is also expected to visit London, despite Vance having previously expressed reservations about the city. Shortly before last year’s presidential election, he described London as “not English any more.” In February, he criticised European governments, including the UK, for suppressing free speech, failing to halt illegal migration, and running in fear from voters. He singled out Britain for arresting a man praying near an abortion clinic.
While the Cotswolds—home to the so-called Chipping Norton set including David Cameron and Jeremy Clarkson—may offer a warm welcome, a different reception could await Vance when he travels to Scotland, where anti-Trump sentiment runs high. In his Munich speech, Vance attacked the Scottish government over abortion rights, claiming it distributed letters warning citizens that private prayer in their homes could break the law within safe access zones. A Scottish government spokesperson called the claim inaccurate, stating that private prayer at home is not prohibited and no such letter was sent.
Vance’s trip comes amid a sharp decline in UK tourist traffic to the US, with official figures showing a 14.3% drop in March 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, attributed to Trump’s policies and rhetoric. Despite this, Britons remain the largest group of overseas visitors to the US.
